First image of unexplosed Russian new Fab-500 where released by Ukrainian Fighters.

On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, an image shared by Ukrainian fighters in the Kherson region was posted on social media. This image is the first of a rare FAB-500T ("ФАБ-500Т") aerial bomb in good condition, equipped with a universal planning and correction module, known in English as J-DAM. Unfortunately, this did not withstand the initial impact.
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on sides: unexplosed FAB 500 visuals, top : Mig 25 RB equipped with full payload 4 air to air missile , 4 air to ground guided missile, bottom : FAB-500M62 mounted under Mig wing. ( Picture sources   : OSINT, Ukrainian fighters )

Previously, these bombs were not equipped with the J-DAM kit. The newly developed FAB-500T differs from the classic FAB-500M62 in its improved aerodynamic properties due to its elongated casing, as well as its increased thermal resistance. It was specifically developed for high-speed deployment from the MiG-25RB.

The production of the FAB-500T was noted during an inspection by Sergei Shoigu of the military-industrial complex enterprises in the Nizhny Novgorod region in March of this year, alongside the resumption of production of the FAB-3000, which attracted media attention due to its immense size.

As seen on the ammunition, the "T" stands for "термостойкая" or simply "heat resistant." This allows it to withstand higher ejection speeds; in fact, it can be launched by aircraft at speeds up to 2500 km/h, making it extremely difficult to intercept.

The inscriptions on the bomb indicate its composition and are intended for the armament workers who must store different types based on the chemical compounds. Here, one can see the composition of the explosive, TA-23, similar to TA-20. TA-23 is an explosive, with the "T" representing TNT and the "A" aluminum; the number, 20 or in this case 23, represents the percentage of aluminum powder in the explosive charge.

TNT is a petroleum-based product relatively easily available in Russia. It can be easily poured into shell casings, while explosives containing RDX need to be pressed. The aluminum powder, in turn, increases the explosion temperature.

After the outbreak of the war, TA-23 began to be seen in Russian artillery shells such as ОФ59, ОФ98, and ОФ99, indeed its ease of access makes it interesting for the Russian defense industry.

The conventional FAB-500 used a complex mixture of TGAF-5 ("ТГАФ-5") (TNT-RDX-aluminum-phlegmatizer) which today no longer equips recently produced FABs.

One hypothesis for this is that TGAF-5 is becoming scarce, and therefore it is replaced by what is possible and offers a good power-to-weight ratio. However, it is likely that this explosive equips the high-resistance guided FAB-500 bombs, simply for thermal properties due to the high launch speed.